By: Bryce Wiatrak

LOCATION

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SPECIALIZING IN

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Freddie Mercury, the Roman god Mercury, Mercury Morris, the planet Mercury. Mercury Geyserville’s tasting room operates as a garage sale-like shrine to basically anyone or anything that shares a portion of their name. But the winery actually gets its name from the town Mercuryville, just a half-hour drive from the tasting room. This used to be mining territory for, you guessed it, mercury, and today it stands proud with a population of two.

Clearly, owner Brad Beard has a sense of humor — and you can witness it first-hand should he be behind the bar at his downtown Geyserville tasting room. The quirkiness doesn’t end with the decor. The wines also exude an element of whimsy. Brad crafts an orange wine he calls “SKINS” from skin-fermented Chardonnay that’s actually quite impressive, as well as a “solera-style” Tempranillo. Customers can buy a jug of “The 1000,” a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend and return anytime to refill it for $25. Will these ever count among the great wines of the world? Certainly not — and once you get to Mercury’s top tier, it’s hard to justify a few of the prices. But you can’t find an ounce of pretension in the atmosphere — a welcome change of pace from much of Wine Country.

WHAT TO TRY: There’s a lot of eccentric stuff to try, but Brad still takes pride in his skills with the Bordeaux varieties. Their “Rocket” blend from Alexander Valley is rich and complex with a heavy currant nose—this is a serious wine.

INSIDE INFO: If you’re used to Healdsburg or downtown Sonoma, Geyserville will feel like a country podunk by comparison. But it’s a fun little town to spend an afternoon in, so plan to get lunch next door at Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria.